'Smile'

[Michael Griffiths]

Just downloaded the unreleased digitial songs, and 'Smile' is by far the best of the lot I'm thinking. 'Levitate' is good, too, but not classic like 'Smile'. This song comes to you from a far, sounding sort of flirtatious, not revealing itself at first, a bit coy, and then....

Bamb.

It hits you. Like a love song that never meant to be one, a guitar riff that never meant to be one....but always had to be laid out there for all to see. It grew into a classic in 3 or 4 listenings.

"I will live again...you will live again...I just don't want to see you smile."

Don't know what it is about this song, but it's incredible. How could it not be on an album? Should have come after 'Wild Honey' on ATYCLB. Would have made that album unstoppable.

I know this must have been discussed to death by now, but I wasn't privy, so indulge me...

 

[cobl04]

I think its actually a Hutdab remnant, so it wouldn't have been on ATYCLB, but yes it is a terrific song. I think its better than over half of the stuff on Hutdab, and thats coming from and avid Hutdab fan.

 

[Axver]

I really like Smile, and I think it's a huge shame that it's not on HTDAAB. I would've put it on after COBL rather than the lame ABOY.

 

[shortfuse]

i downloaded these songs to... i thought love u like mad and levitate (from ATYCLB sessions) were great.

smile was good... could have a place on HTDAAB at the expense of A man and a woman

 

[Michael Griffiths]

I don't even think you would need to replace any of the songs on Bomb. It could fit nicely in there somewhere. It would be great if U2 still released 12 song albums. This would have been perfect for that. Though it does sound more ATYCLB to me than Bomb...which is why it probably wasn't included on Bomb.

 

[Carek1230]

Maybe Smile and Levitate will find themselves onto the new album.

 

[vaz02]

smile is dead lame really lol. just as lame as one step closer.

 

[Carek1230]

Smile is not lame, it's just ok.

 

[TheEdge1987]

Does anybody have a copy of the unreleased songs that they could send to me?

 

[Nisse]

levitate is bad, but I like the rest of them

 

[Aygo]

"Smile" is good but not great!
The song seems to be quickly made, the lyrics are good on the verses but pretty bad on the chorus...
It could've made a great b-side in Bomb's singles instead of a digital releasement.

...about the other ones... only "Levitate" had the quality to finish in the ATYCLB tracklist, it could be a great concert opener. LYLM could be on the album too because of the ending section, but "Flower Child" we have already too (tracks 6 and 7).

 

[topplehatU2]

I'm not too fond of Smile, but it's okay. I do love Levitate though.

 

[Utoo]

I've got all the unreleased & rare set (plus a few more) on one playlist & it's a pretty entertaining one. All those songs----Levitate, Smile, Are You Gonna Wait Forever, Mercy, Always, Love You Like Mad, etc.---they all go really well together.

Once again, the songs that U2 throw away could be solid gold to any other band.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

smile is dead lame really lol. just as lame as one step closer.

Each to their own, I guess.

 

[trevgreg]

good song. probably made even more special by being rare, imo.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

"Smile" is good but not great!
The song seems to be quickly made, the lyrics are good on the verses but pretty bad on the chorus...
It could've made a great b-side in Bomb's singles instead of a digital releasement.

...about the other ones... only "Levitate" had the quality to finish in the ATYCLB tracklist, it could be a great concert opener. LYLM could be on the album too because of the ending section, but "Flower Child" we have already too (tracks 6 and 7).

Most of U2's best songs are made quickly. Both 'One' and 'Pride' were nailed down in one night. And I don't agree at all that the lyrics in the chorus are poor. It's not surface, so it requires a little extra attention. "I don't want to see you smile" seems to be a wry, almost scathing comment to the superficiality we see from people who believe love is a catchphrase, an easy and somewhat disposable state of mind that can be bought and sold just like they believe everything else can.

"The smoke machine is yours, not mine...I don't want to see you smile [cue delicious falsettos...]"

 

[Michael Griffiths]

As for 'Levitate', I think the music is great, but the lyrics seem to be just thrown in there. Like Bono took all the ideas he was mulling around at the time and strung them together to create a lyrical filler in order to have something to sing to the music.

I like parts of it like "Spirit come down...no I'm not coming down...", but lines like, "To be the bee, to be the bee and the flower, before the sweetness turns to sour," followed by "Freedom has a scent like the top of a new born babies head," all seems to be jammed in there like Bono really wanted to fit these lyrics into the songs somewhere, anywhere. I keep wanting the song to explode, but in lines like these it stumbles. Could have been great though, as there are moments of greatness. I can see why they left it off.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

good song. probably made even more special by being rare, imo.

That's true. I hardly ever get to hear this song. Last time I heard it was almost a year ago, but I never downloaded it then. I just downloaded it for the first time, so I can now listen to it. Because it is rare, I hadn't had the time to oversaturate myself, and the brush strokes are still big and colourful for me.

 

[Aygo]

Most of U2's best songs are made quickly. Both 'One' and 'Pride' were nailed down in one night. And I don't agree at all that the lyrics in the chorus are poor. It's not surface, so it requires a little extra attention. "I don't want to see you smile" seems to be a wry, almost scathing comment to the superficiality we see from people who believe love is a catchphrase, an easy and somewhat disposable state of mind that can be bought and sold just like they believe everything else can.

"The smoke machine is yours, not mine...I don't want to see you smile [cue delicious falsettos...]"

Well, I know U2 make almost all songs quickly, but that's melody. Can you imagine One only in the piano without any guitar thing and production (almost with a So Cruel feel)?
In "Smile" there's a lack of something because the song doesn't get anywhere. That's why it didn't have a place in an album (and maybe as a b-side).
But I agree that I love too the line "The smoke machine is yours, not mine"...

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Well, I know U2 make almost all songs quickly, but that's melody. Can you imagine One only in the piano without any guitar thing and production (almost with a So Cruel feel)?
In "Smile" there's a lack of something because the song doesn't get anywhere. That's why it didn't have a place in an album (and maybe as a b-side).
But I agree that I love too the line "The smoke machine is yours, not mine"...

Actually, the entire song ('One') - melody, instrumenation, production, recording, everything - sprang forth in one day.

I don't feel that 'Smile' lacks anything. It isn't trying to be anything other than the soul piece that it is. It isn't trying to be epic, and that's what I love about it. Same reason I like 'Wild Honey'.

 

[Chizip]

smile should have taken the place of a man and a woman

 

[vaz02]

smile should have taken the place of a man and a woman

nnonon a man and a women is a great song and orginal for the album , how about one step closer.

One step closer brings nothing to the table.

 

[Aygo]

I read so many absurd things here...
How in this world "Smile" is better then AMAAW and OSC?

BIG LOL

 

[Liesje]

I absolutely love this song. I've listened to the other "rare" ones that came with it a few times, but I'm always drawn back to "Smile". It's probably my favorite U2 song right now.

 

[Canadiens1131]

No wonder the Mercy followers crave for it, Smile sounds like it crawled out of the same cespool of crap.

Any goodness in Smile's first 30 seconds, provided by the roots of Adam's massive bass, is ultimately squandered by the song's wishy-washyness.

 

[U2girl]

It's ok.
I think from the Itunes unreleased pack of songs, Levitate has the most potential.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

This song is pure genius, the more I listen to it. I misterpreted the song earlier. Now I feel it is a sincere love song...heartwrenching actually. It hurts him too much to see this person smile...because this relationship will not be.

I just sent 'Smile' to a friend of mine who's never heard it before. This is what he had to say:

I don’t know why it wasn’t released either, maybe its just too personal to profit from it; plus its one of those rare gems bono could pull out of his hat in a live setting.. bring the tears out of even the janitor



…I started light hearted, and it wont be easy like you said..



…I will live again, you will live again, I don’t wanna see you smile..



That nosey, nosey, tosey, tosey, line is so freakin cute!!! Hahah!!

 

[Aygo]

…I started light hearted, and it wont be easy like you said..

…I will live again, you will live again, I don’t wanna see you smile..

That nosey, nosey, tosey, tosey, line is so freakin cute!!! Hahah!!

Well, in fact I think it's "God knows it, knows me, knows me, knoes me"...

...tosey/nosey

 

[pgv]

Maybe Smile and Levitate will find themselves onto the new album.

I hope so - smile sounds how I hope the next album will sound like.

 

[Rachel D.]

"Smile" is very pretty, but it's hard (for me) to listen to because the lyrics seem very melancholy. The guitar parts are very nice. I like it.

I also like "Flower Child" and "Levitate," both of which, I believe, came from the ATYCLB sessions. They really sound like it, too.

As for "One Step Closer," you have to listen to it to appreciate its beauty. I thought it was dull the first few times I heard it, but then it hit me. Listen to it with headphones. It almost sounds like there's a ukelele in the background, among many other layers of sound. The imagery in the lryics is amazing, too.